Reader X One-Shot Dump: KH Style
by Bayanette Winters
Summary: A series of old and new one-shots I've written for the KH characters we know and love. Witness Axel return as Lea after leaving you so long ago. Cry as Roxas makes a decision that changes both of your fates. Smile as Riku realizes what he was missing all that time you were on the island together - and MORE! Requests will be accepted and processed as soon as possible.
1. AxelLea: Swept Off Feet

Now was the time to relax. The world was safe, for the time being, and it was time to celebrate Halloween at the Disney Castle. This was one of the first years you'd been invited to the majestic palace and you were ecstatic! It'd taken Sora and Riku seemingly forever to get back from their Mark of Mastery Exam and they had surprised you and Kairi with this shindig. Neither of you even dreamed of declining the offer.

Kairi watched you leer at the towering white walls and glimmering ceilings, as though it were leaking out little spurts of Light. She giggled as your eyes popped out of their sockets.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" She commented. You nodded vigorously.

"I can't believe we're actually here!" You cried. You had been stuck on that island for so long; you had known few castles other than the ones from your childish picture books.

It was like the first time you'd seen The World that Never Was - fascinating and a bit scary all at the same time (even though the feel of this one was more benevolent than the last). The size in general put you in a state of awe, but you couldn't help but try to estimate how many large, unused rooms filled the floors of the place. You made a note to not get caught exploring each and every one of them.

Riku came to your side, pushing your jaw back up with his index finger. "You've seen nothing yet," he told you. His head bobbed towards the castle's entrance, where a figure stood in a black cloak. Normally, you'd seen this countenance standing tall and proud - or perhaps cocky was the better word for it. Now, it seemed a bit jittery and nervous. It would stand still for only a moment at a time, and kept stroking the red hair that stretched from its head.

"Axel." You barely even breathed it, yet the head turned your way as if you'd called out to it.

"It's Lea now," was all he said to you. He couldn't seem to utter anymore, or even give you the smile that you thought would be gone forever. So many questions filled your throat and mouth, soaring to a sky that quickly turned into a glass ceiling; Lea knew what you wanted to ask - could practically see the words getting stuck behind your teeth - but didn't acknowledge them. The others headed inside and Lea went with them. You followed at a distance, wondering what you'd done to deserve _that_ reaction.

...

The party was later that evening, and Kairi had come to help you into your dress. It was a pretty little thing: black and smooth, hugging your curves up until the tips of your thighs. There, it flared out to caress the contrasting tiles and shimmered with tiny silver sequins along the edges. The top half had little straps traveling diagonally up your shoulders and the back dipped very low. Dozens of little lace straps needed connecting along your spine, and Kairi was helping tie them up into cute little bows. She also aided you in putting your hair up into a tight bun. Though you were in front of a mirror, you couldn't stop staring out the window beside you. The midnight sky was as lavish as the castle, filled with hundreds upon hundreds of twinkling stars. They didn't dance or mingle; they just sat quietly, watching over the worlds below with blinking interest.

"Are you alright?" Kairi finally asked, realizing that you weren't listening to her compliments on your attire. You glanced back. She wore a simple peach sundress with blue sashes along the waist and edges. You felt a bit overdressed next to the walking sunset, but loved the way the little black thing made you feel.

"Yeah, I'm alright," you lied. Kairi gave a half smile - she always knew when you were fibbing.

"What's the matter?"

"It's just..." It'd be no use lying to her. You sighed. "I thought he'd be happier to see me. Or maybe I'm not as happy to see him. I don't know. I'm just...confused."

"You looked pretty happy to me." Kairi tied the last bow and met your eyes in the mirror. "Are you nervous because he's a complete person now?"

You recalled the story from the other boys. He was "complete" now, with a heart and everything. Instantly, your head started shaking. "No, not at all! I've _always_ thought of him as a person. Aside from the tattoos, he doesn't look any different than before he..." _Died_ caught in your throat. You swallowed it back and moved on. "It's nothing like that. He's just acting different than he used to. He hasn't looked at me since we got to the castle."

"You may need to get your eyes checked." Kairi gave you a kind smile and tried to push you out of the door before you could question her. "Now, let's go join the party. This is supposed to be a fun night!"

Drink in hand, you were exploring the gardens outside of the party. The event was extravagant, you supposed, complete with a large golden ballroom and sparkling silver streamers, etc. But the beauty didn't make you feel all that better about Axel/Lea. He had avoided you the entire party (more or less) and averted his eyes each time you tried to approach him. You become more and more downtrodden as the night went on. You had been so looking forward to catching up with him - to finding out _how_ he'd come back to life in the first place. Why didn't he want to speak with you? Did you do something to him before he -?

You take another sip from the glass in your hand. It wasn't alcoholic of course (nothing like some of the adults on the island would carry in small wooden jugs), but the bubbles made your head tingle nonetheless. You took another sip and another and another. You hoped that its delicious, apple pie-like taste would make you feel better as it settled in your stomach. You soon found that it did nothing for you except offer the start of a sugary stomachache. You stopped sipping and walked on.

You came up to a hedge shaped like the King's regal head, laughing at the iconic image. The gesture was forced more so than you thought your voice was capable of. Your smile may have been that of a joker's as tears started parading down your cheeks. You asked yourself what the hell was wrong as you wiped the liquid off your face, but knew it was pointless to wonder. You were a woman, inherently emotional and devastated when the person you cared for most did little but turn his head in your direction. There wasn't much you could change about it, either.

"Hey." The voice startled you quite a bit. You turned to it and dropped your glass. Lea shoved his hands into the slacks beneath his cloak. He saw your face and something in his eyes changed, the emeralds melting into two big puddles of...well, honestly, you were too much of a mess that you couldn't finish the thought.

"Sorry," you finally muttered, brushing away the leftover streams on your cheeks. "Um, did the others need something?"

Lea stared at you for a moment more and then swiftly came to you. He pulled you into his arms and pressed his lips to yours. His gloved hands tugged on your neck, making you stumble around between his elbows. You wanted to enjoy the kiss, but you had to get over your dizziness first. It took a moment, but Lea's lips was patient. He waited until you were properly oriented and deepened the embrace. Your hands shivered a bit as they rose to his sides. You wondered if he was going to vanish beneath your fingers - as if he'd never truly existed in the first place. To your relief, he was very real and warm.

It took some time for him to pull away. He seemed to really like the kiss when you got more into it, but knew that some words were hovering on your lips. His eyelids opened slightly to stare at you with awe and desire. You were trapped in them for a moment; you remembered that look from a time before, but it had been a thousand moonless cycles, it seemed. Those eyes could still manage to make you want to drop to your knees.

"Lea," you whispered. "Why haven't you been talking to me? Why won't you tell me what happened?" He hushed you with his voice and his prodding lips.

"Not now," he breathed. "I don't want to talk about it now." He resumed the kiss and you wondered if it was worth it to pull back. You didn't after a second, letting his warmth spread over your teeth and tongue and cheeks. When he pulled back, you spoke again.

"I thought you'd changed. I thought you didn't want to see me."

"I just couldn't talk," Lea said. He was finally straight and serious, pulling away from the temptation of your mouth. "I didn't even know if _you_ still wanted to see me. You could've found another guy for all I know." He chuckled, hiding beneath it a troubled grimace. "Plus, a lot has happened since I saw you last."

"Like what?"

Lea gave a small laugh. "You'd think I'd murdered someone with that look!" You let your expression fall, embarrassed. "Look, it's nothing too bad. I just...have some things to take care of soon."

"Does that mean you'll be leaving again?" You tried to control your hope this time; you tried to sound cool and collected. It probably didn't work, but he gave you a cocky grin.

"Yeah. Those two block-heads inside can't save the world without my help." He winked. You gave a smile, but by his sigh it wasn't convincing, either. "Look, if you still want this glorious thing that is me, then I promise that you'll be the first person I come to see when I get back. Hey." He tapped your forehead. "You're the only thing I ever wanted, with a heart or otherwise. Got it memorized? I'll always be coming back to sweep you off of your feet."

Your smile was real this time, but Lea couldn't help pulling it into his arrogant grin again. You had more questions, more wonders about what journeys he expected to go on next, but that could wait a while. You were just happy to have him sweeping off of your feet again.


	2. Zexion: Old Connection

Zexion and Vexen stand in the streets; Zexion holds his open Lexicon close to his chest while Vexen's blue shield rests on his arm. The Heartless surrounding them arch their backs - then they spring. A bright light and flashes of icy swings blur the area, and then Zexion and Vexen are crouching on opposite sides of the Radiant Garden town square. The Heartless are still for a few beats before, one by one, they disappear in a series of wispy mists, their hearts floating and melding into the clouds.

The two Nobodies stand up, straightening their coats and allowing their weapons to fade away.

"Ah, another job well done," Vexen says aloud, dusting his hands off. "Shall we return?"

Zexion is looking off into the distance. Vexen approaches him and follows his eyes. A girl sits on a bench looking up and around at the flowers before her. She smiles at them once in awhile and returns to her book. She apparently hasn't noticed anything nearby, as she is completely engrossed in her reading.

"Such a young girl out here on her own," Vexen comments. His eyebrows rose upwards. "And here comes her nanny." An older and rather plump woman with white hair runs up to the girl, saying something in a flurry of panicked squabbles. The girl stands up with the woman, surprised (and disappointed) to see her there. The woman takes the girl's hand and drags her off toward a house the two men could not see. Zexion's eyes stay on the girl until she is completely out of view.

"She…," he begins, turning to Vexen and smiling darkly, "is the one I will do my research on." Zexion had been searching for someone to do a sort of heart research on for weeks now. Vexen is surprised.

" _Her?_ But she's just a girl."

"The woman who was with her owns the orphanage."

Vexen rose a brow. "So the girl…"

"Is an orphan herself. A heart innocent, yet heavy and dark with loneliness." Vexen's lips turn up into a vicious joker's grin.

"How….intriguing."

You sit in the bright sun on a wooden bench, holding the book of Various Butterflies in your hand. You'd been researching and drawing them in your free time at the orphanage and this was your third time sneaking out to come test your knowledge.

You search around for the winged bugs and saw one on a flower a ways in front of you. It has bright orange wings that are lined with black.

 _Easy_ , you think, _Monarch Butterfly! A child could guess that._

A footstep behind you disturbs your thoughts. As always since the accident, you think it's either Nanny Jaenny or - with false hope - your parents. You know that isn't going to happen...yet you still wish they'd show up one day as though they'd simply been on a vacation for 7 long years.

You whirl your head around to see a tall man with silver-blue hair over the right side of his face. He stands on an elevated platform, his visible eye a very dark blue color - like the Mission Blue butterfly you'd studied up on. You stare up at him quietly, unsure of what to do or say. He stays silent, too.

"y/n," calls a familiar womanly voice. Nanny Jaenny comes up to you, but your eyes didn't move from the man's. "I've been worrying about you, young lady! You know it's too dangerous to be out here as of late!" Nanny Jaenny grips your arm with her old, crooked fingers and pulls you to your feet. She sees the man that you can't seem to take your eyes off of. "I'm so sorry, sir. Is she bothering you? She's supposed to stay inside the home - "

"It's quite alright," says the man in a smooth, calm voice. "She wasn't bothering me at all." He continues to stand where he was. Nanny Jaenny's skin seems to crawl at the eeriness of the stranger.

"Well, come on, deary," she stutters out quickly. "W-we need to get you home." Nanny Jaenny pulls you along back home. The curious man watches you leave.

That night, you find yourself drawing again - a hobby that you practiced on and off during your "captivity". This time, you draw what you remember of the man you'd see in the plaza that afternoon and continued to sketch various poses of him until dawn.

Every day, you notice the man in the black coat watching you from a distance. One the afternoons that you sit and do nothing, he seems...kinda-sorta frustrated - though it doesn't look like the emotion reaches his heart. After that, you try to always be doing something; reading, playing with flowers, etc. You even sneak in some drawings of the captivating stranger. He seems an odd-sort-of-pleased with that.

One day, you settle near the Castle to peruse your book of drawings. You squint at the stranger's stern, emotionless face on the paper. Something about your...well, _stalker_ seems…..

You hear footsteps and look up. A flash of your father blurs your vision, which quickly dissolves and becomes the stranger. He stands over you, looking at you like some kind of ancient object from a lifetime ago. You have a long staring contest with each other.

"Hello," he greets calmly.

"Hello," your hesitant voice replies.

"You are…a very strange girl," he comments. "A rebellious orphan shouldn't be disobeying orders and running around. There could be untrustworthy predators lurking in the darkness, awaiting to take the hearts of their victims…."It's random and not terribly explanatory comment. Ignoring the comment for the moment, you stand up and look into his eye curiously. The man appears as though he wants to back off as you inch closer to him; you can tell by the slight scrunch in his brows that he isn't used to anyone being in his bubble space, but he stays still.

You stare hard into the eye of the man. Then you lift your hand slowly, lightly brushing it over the surface of the man's hair. It rustles slightly, but still retains its shape as the curtain over his left eye.

"Ienzo?" You say incredulously. He jolts back in surprise - genuine, this time. His eye goes wide as something connects to the memories of his past. You remember it, too, like it was yesterday….

 _You remember in your childhood passing a lonely orphan boy with moon-shining hair. He typically plays alone. You found him curious and sweet when you'd visited with him before, and you wanted to go talk to him again, to relieve him of his loneliness._

 _"Come on honey," your sweet mother says, her red, short hair bobbing under her chin. She smiles as though the sun were beaming from her heart and up into her eyes._

 _"We don't want to be late," your father added. His smooth hair and gentle, teddy-bear eyes complimented his own fathering smile and thin figure. You smile gleefully._

 _"Okay!" You take their hands and swing your way down the street._

 _But, before fading away, you take another last glance back at the small boy, Ienzo, still playing with some small toy in front of him. A feeling of sadness washed over you at the sight. He gives you a quick glance back and something flies between you. Something that your young mind can't understand at the time, but that your heart knows well. You are linked by fate, and you were thrilled to later find what that meant for your future._

 _I'll play with him tomorrow, you promised. I'll get to know him then._

 _Of course, though, that was the day of the accident._

You both come back to reality. The new Ienzo blinks once.

"It's…you," he says in amazement. For once, he seems to be overflowing with emotions. His face shifts constantly, not sure which expression to take on next. You smile.

"Where have you been, Ienzo? What happened to you?" New Ienzo looks away.

"I…as you know, I lost my parents when I was a boy…and to make a long story short, I'm Zexion now." You tilt your head inquisitively.

"Zexion, then." You say blissfully. You wrap your arms around the man in a tight embrace. He stumbles a bit, but then lets his hands rest on your back. "It's good to see a face I knew forever ago." Zexion lets out a single, emotionless laugh.

"Well, we are alike in our orphaned state."

"Finally, there's someone who can understand me." You mutter to him. "That's….that's all I've ever wanted from anyone." You squeeze him a little tighter. Zexion's body remains still. "Please, wherever you're going, take me with you." The request made Zexion pull back a little to examine your face. Your eyes were desperate and longing to go with the man whom you'd always felt a strange connection to. He ponders for a moment, the gears in his head twisting behind his pupil.  
He stares into your eyes a little longer, then realizes that he was….remembering something else. An emotion that he'd felt before, but only with you. What was it? He couldn't quite place it. And how were you able to stir something so trivial as an emotion within his empty being?

Finally, he gives you a small nod.

"Alright," he says. "I'll take you with me." You beam in rejoice and hug him again. Nanny Jaenny would be alright; you'd leave her some kind of note to find in your sketchpad.

"Thank you," you tell him sincerely. Zexion gives you another smile and when you are ready, he takes your hand, leading you into a black portal he makes with his other palm.

 _Somehow, I'll make it work,_ Zexion thought _. Somehow…._

 _For her._


	3. Three One: Three Shards

Roxas grabbed your hand, but you didn't jump or whirl around. Your head instead lolled back to look at the blonde. He was looking around the pitch-dark environment and looked as though he hadn't even noticed what he had reached out for. You stood there, feeling little except annoyance. Why should you have to watch this sniveling girl?

Then you looked into his large blue eyes and sighed. Maybe it wasn't right to be feeling that way about one of your best friends. But how were you supposed to feel? You couldn't even remember what it was like to have concern or sympathy. Even this chasm of complete darkness and silence didn't stir anything within your small, concave chest.

Roxas' hands squished yours further, making them start to get numb. You shook your head.

"It's only a dream, Roxas," you muttered. True, it was _his_ dream and his worst fear lurked in the blackness somewhere, but…. "You can wake up any time you want."

You both jumped back into consciousness, not even realizing that you'd fallen asleep against each other until that point. Axel and Demyx walked in at that point and saw you two sitting up and glancing around the white room. Roxas looked at you and blushed, raising his head off of your shoulder.

"Oh, sorry, y/n." He apologized quietly. You shrugged, once again feeling only an empty irritation buzz in the back of your head.

"Did you fall asleep together?" Axel asked you both, his sarcastic tone showing a hint of something bitter.

"Yeah. It was an accident." Your peculiar ability to enter others' dreams when you were lying near or next them was a curious attribute, not that it would help you in anything useful like a battle. Demyx casually strolled to sit between you and the other blonde. He put his arms behind both of your heads.

"We should go do somethin' fun," he announced. "I'm so _bored_ sitting around all day doing nothing." You stood up slowly.

"I'm going to see if Saix has any missions for me," you said, strutting off. You knew where this conversation led; usually to someone passing out in boredom or exhaustion beside you by the end of the day. You didn't want that to happen yet again.

As soon as you were gone, the boys started whispering.

"She's getting worse," Axel mumbled.

"Yeah," Roxas agreed. "Her feelings are totally gone."

"When _weren't_ they?" Demyx wondered aloud, pulling out his sitar from the air and strumming it lightly.

"Don't you remember the first days she was here?" Roxas pointed out. "She was crying a lot. All of the time, actually."

"Oh, yeah." The boys all flinched at the memory of your sweet face covered in tears. You'd lost everything; your home, your friends, and most importantly, your Heart. You could barely remember you family without it, since you'd cared for them so much.

"Then she got like she is now," Roxas went on, attempting to further avoid the thought. "We need to do something for her."

"I've got a plan," Axel stated. Demyx and Roxas stared at him. "I overhead Saix and Xemnas talking the other day. _'s Heart was different from ours. In a way, it's…. fixable."

You opened a portal back home, ensuring your massive sleeves hid the tears in the sides of your cloak.

"Damn that Heartless," you cursed. "It was tougher than usual." You looked down at your wounds. They pulsed with pouring blood, but you didn't feel any anger or pain. You were just….well, you weren't sure _what_ you were.

"Your mission went well?" Saix asked when he saw you. You quickly put your arms back down, even though he'd already witnessed the blood coming out of your body.

"Yeah. It was fine." You pushed him aside and walked towards the infirmary.

"Oh," Saix went on, facing forward as though you were still standing before him. "I was told to tell you that your three friends will be gone for a while." You stopped.

"Huh?" Your voice faked confusion, remembered to be the appropriate emotion for a situation like this.

"They'll be back soon. They wanted you to know." Saix was silent and you took that moment to leave.

On the way to your room, you waited to feel something. Why? Why did you wait now when you knew nothing would come?

You sat on your bed and twiddled your thumbs, not sure what else to do. Your standard-issue coat was tossed aside and you sat in your bra and black pants. Once in a while, you would touch the wounds that were now covered with mounds of bandages. Then you'd think you'd feel…

Well, as preposterous as it was, the place where your Heart once was would throb with a light pain. What did this mean? You'd wonder as you touched the skin above it. The pain would go away and you'd return to your previous twiddling. It came back, though, and each time it was a little stronger.

"Could the emptiness grow any deeper?" You scolded your body. Then you went numb. It'd been a long time since you'd felt anything. What would cause it now? Maybe it was because your best friends had been gone for over a week now? You weren't sure. But it all sounded crazy to you.

You felt something poke at you. You sat up and rubbed your eyes. A small white cat with enormous green eyes mewed at you.

"Feline." You called it. That was what you'd named it when you, Roxas, and Axel had once found it on a mission. Demyx suggested something like Mew or Spot, but you kept it simple. She patted your arm with her little paw and hopped off the bed. You were no animal-translator, but you assumed that she wanted you to go somewhere. You put on your robe and headed out into the Castle Hall with her.

Wandering around with your cat, you wound up in the round room. At first, it looked like no one was there, but Feline stopped and sat down expectantly. You sighed.

"What?" You asked her, getting only a mew in reply.

"You came!" Roxas yelled excitedly. You glanced up and saw your friends sitting in their seats. You tilted your head, an automatic reaction remaining from your past life.

"Huh?"

"We've been waiting on you," Axel stated.

"Why?"

"Because," Demyx broke in. "We have something to give you." You waited for them to explain, but they looked to be inquiring which boy should go first. Roxas smiled; he would begin.

He teleported down to the ground with you and held out his hands.

"For you," he said sweetly. You looked down in his hand and saw a pink shard, rounded at the outer right edge but jagged on the other side. You took it, feeling it radiate a warmth through your hand and arm. Roxas smiled and returned to his spot.

Demyx went next, bowing elegantly as he held out another one to you with his fingers.

"For you," he repeated, setting the pink thing in your hand. The warmth moved up towards your arms and into your shoulders. He returned to.

Axel was last, standing feet above you and looking down at your face with a soft, admirable gaze.

"Axel," you muttered. "This feels so….familiar." You watched the shards shine brightly at your recognition.

"It should," Axel said, pulling his hand from behind his back. The last shard started to glow. "It's your Heart."

The three shards-now all in your palms-glowed brightly, spreading the warmth even further into your chest. They blinded you as they started to merge, but no amount of possible blindness could make you look away. They came together at your touch and hovered in front of your nose. Then, they slowly sunk into the skin on your collar bone, filling that empty space that been there for so long now. You waited for a few seconds as you let it settle in your chest. And waited and….

 _Ba-bump_.

You broke down onto the floor, covering your face to hide the weeps coming out of your mouth.

 _Ba-bump_. It kept repeating it over and over again in a harmonious melody that you'd long forgotten. _Ba-bump Ba-bump Ba-bump Ba-bump_.

Axel and the other boys stood in front of you, worried that something had gone wrong. They bent down to your level, trying to look into your eyes.

"Thank you," you cried out from behind your hands. "Thank you guys so much." They all smiled gently.

"Well, we had to do something…" Axel began.

"For the special girl…," Roxas said.

"That we love." Demyx finished. You met their eyes and beamed. A real, overwhelming emotion of joy swept over you and you gave them each a kiss on their soft lips (which they thoroughly enjoyed.

"Thank you," you kept saying to them. "Thank you, thank you. I love you guys too."

And for once, the emotion was true.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

This isn't one of my favorites. I wrote it way back for the winner of a contest that I held. Nonetheless, maybe you guys will like it. :) Here it is for your reading pleasure.


	4. Roxas: Token of Importance

You can hardly believe what your seeing as you peek out into the hall; Roxas is fighting Dusks! The small, spiky-haired blonde had his keyblade drawn and was slicing through the empty white shells. When they seem to have faded in each area, he moves on and you follow him a little ways until he begins fighting again.

 _Why is he doing this?_ You wonder. Why would he fight his own kin? You trusted him with all of your, um…being. But you don't know what to make of his raging behavior. You don't call out to him or even try to stop the massacre. You just follow and watch.

Finally, he reaches the end of the Castle, where Saix himself awaits the young Nobody. You fear for your friend's life; Saix looks about ready to kill him.

A battle ensues, and you can only watch as you hide terrified and fascinated behind a pillar. There isn't much time to make a move, however; Roxas takes Saix down in a hurdling series of strong keyblade throws. Saix collapses to the ground and Roxas moves on. You run down the slanted floor, heading to follow Roxas again. As you feet scuffle past Saix, you hear him grunt and call you by number. You pause and look at him over your shoulder. He struggles to push himself up with shaking arms.

"T-take him down," he says to you. "Don't let him escape." You look forward again and run on.

...

Roxas reaches the outside and strolls past Axel, who is leaning against a wall in the neon-nightlife.

"So, your mind's made up?" You hear him say as you approach them. You hide in the alley of a building, watching and listening.

"Why did the keyblade choose me?" Roxas replies in frustration. "I have to know."

"You can't turn on the Organization!" Axel suddenly yells, his back arched and fists clenched over air. "You get on their bad side and they'll destroy you!"

"No one would miss me." He starts walking forward again. You feel your empty chest lunge at him, so distraught and confused.

"That's not true!" Axel calls after him. His head hangs in despair. "I would." Your eyes keep to Roxas and the only sound you hear is your breathing and the blonde's fading footsteps. Then you start jogging again, feeling your feet take over. You run past Axel, who looks up at you as you go by. He straightens up and watches.

"If anyone could stop him, it'd be you," he states quietly.

You start panting as you run on, pushing through the darkness for the one you're stalking. A small black creature appears before Roxas and he takes it down easily. Then more appear as though alerted by their comrade's death. Roxas takes them down too, drawing out two keyblades.

A surprise Heartless jumps at his unprotected back, claws bared. You jump forward, bringing out your sword and slamming it down on the Heartless. You crouch low as you look up at the remaining enemies. Roxas spares you a glance, then focuses on taking down the creatures as well. You both work together to bring down the fire and destroy all of the Heartless.

When it's over, you both stand and turn to face the other. You stare into Roxas's eyes, searching the blue fog for answers. He looks for the same thing in yours. He's awaiting your words.

"You were going to just leave without saying good-bye?" You ask half-sarcastically, half-seriously.

"I didn't want to get you into trouble," he says softly. "There are some things that I have to find out for myself."

"I know," You reply sincerely. You reach into your pocket and pull out a small, compressed flower-it resembled a daisy without the yellow center. "Take this," you tell him, "so that you won't forget the friends you've left behind you." Roxas takes it, smiling only a little, and slips it into his pocket.

"I won't forget," he says. You put a gloved hand to his cheek and kiss his lips once. Both of your eyes closed for a sweet moment as you touched. You take each others' hands, giving them a squeeze. Roxas releases first and turns to leave.

"Be careful," he tells you.

"I will," you respond, facing the way you came. "Find your answers, Roxas." In the corner of your eye, you see him pull up his hood, nod once, and then walk away. "I'll never forget you." Your whisper echoed in the lonesome dark. Rain pounded on your head and coat.

A single tear slid down your cheek; the only tear you'd ever cry in your existence for the one you cared about. You know Saix and Xemnas will have you head for this - maybe they'll even destroy you - but you don't care anymore; you were doing exactly what you wanted.

The Dusks' white shapes slithers your way, searching once again for the traitor you'd let go. The first one in the group reaches you and you decapitate it. The others stop heading for Roxas and instead switch their focus onto you. Dozens upon dozens came, but you made yourself fight on with all of your strength. You just hope to buy Roxas enough time to escape.

Saix had thought you'd do as you're told; he was wrong.

Axel thought you'd stop Roxas from leaving; he was wrong too.

They are all wrong about you. You'd let Roxas go to find the answers he was seeking and are protecting him now to allow him a head start.

And as you can still feel his kiss burning on your lips, you know you'd do whatever it took to make sure the one you cared for most is safe. Until you could meet again.

...

 _Much later…_

DiZ looked at the sleeping boy under his machine. This thing without heart, without life, he thought, would be the key to his master plan.

Ansem-Riku stood behind him; he, too, looked down at the boy.

"We'll keep him from the other Nobody's in the world I've created for him," DiZ stated. "He'll be safe there until Sora is ready."

Something against the boy's coat caught his eye; a single white flower was poking out of his pocket. DiZ took it, examining the strange object.

"Hmph," he said, crushing it within his fingers. He tossed it behind him and went to ready the transporter. Ansem-Riku bent down to pick up the crushed thing and held it gently in his palm. Roxas disappeared in a whirlwind of technological sparks.

Roxas slept in his bed, breathing softly and slowly as any seemingly normal boy would do. Ansem-Riku stood at his bedside, silently examining the boy as he didn't even stir at the man's dark presence.

Ansem-Riku turned to Roxas's new nightstand and placed upon it the crushed flower. He knew Roxas's memories of the poor thing were locked away, never to remember where it came from. But he left it anyway as a token of importance.


	5. Riku: Broken Island Dreams Part 1

I laid back in my chair, daydreaming as usual. I was waiting in my room for HIM to come, my true love, my one and only:

Riku.

He was supposed to pick me up for the Island Dance that was going on that evening, and since Riku and I had no dates, we had made an agreement to take each other. Little did that boy know that I was _thrilled_ with the happenstance. He didn't know I loved him…at least, not yet. I was hoping to gain some courage that evening and finally confess my true feelings.

A knock came at my door and I jumped up quickly. I fixed my short and simple white dress, slipped on my flip flops, and threw open the door. Riku stood with very little expression at first. When I gave him a wide smile, he eyed me with curiosity.

"You look nice, y/n," He said uncertainly. I bowed my head in gratitude, hiding my blush.

"Thanks," I replied, "you don't look so bad yourself." He was wearing a neat black shirt with buttons lining the center. The first few were undone, revealing his light, strong chest — to which I tried not to oogle. He wore casual navy shorts that were a bit too big for his thighs, and a tie hung loosely over his neck, treated like a lifeless white snake. I looked at that a moment longer before giggle to myself.

"What?" Riku asked, his eyes lighting up a bit.

"Are you totally hopeless?" I asked with a grin. I gestured to his tie.

He laughed too, rubbing the back of his head. "I guess it's been awhile since I've done anything, you know, like this."

True, I thought. I remembered the day he and Sora had come back from their journey to the other worlds. I had been so happy when he returned (more a man than ever, might I add). I had worried for some time that he'd never come back, that I'd never get to tell him how much I've been in love with him since he'd taken down little Sora for teasing me when we were kids. Since he had returned, I'd attempted to make my confession — I _needed_ to in case he left the island again. If I didn't tonight, there was always a chance that I'd never get to say anything.

"Well," I said, temporarily shutting off my anxious thoughts. "Good thing you have me to help you." I started working with the tie, holding back the grin that wanted to spread; I had anticipated this very situation. Riku had never been one to dress up all that well.

"Okay, that should do it." I confirmed, flicking my work of art. "Ready?"

"Sure," Riku said, inspecting my work. He looked slightly uncertain about his shirt, which I'd left open so he could breath in the late afternoon heat.

"Oh, don't worry about it," I said. "You look better with it buttoned down, anyway. In fact…" I tugged on the tie's knot, giving Riku his usual look of casualness. "There. Now you look more like you." He smiled and my heart leapt towards my head.

"Thanks. Let's go"

—

The dance was very lively on the beach. The palm trees were decorated with mounds of ribbons and flowers, as was the small area around the wooden platform where some of the locals were beating on palm-wood drums. The sand dug in at some spots where children had buried each other and where couples had danced for the last hour. The smell of delicious bonfire-cooked fruit smothered the air. Everything about the area was very warm and orange, except for a few clouds hanging menacingly beside the sun.

Sora nearly he nearly fell over laughing. I snapped back to the present and looked to my friends, wondering what joke I'd just missed.

"That's funny, Kairi," the boy nearly yelled. Kairi smiled; it was a kind of smile I'd recognized; the smile of love. It begged the question: when would they tell each other about _their_ feelings? Kairi had been holding onto her confession much longer than I had. And Sora was quite obviously head-over-heels for the redhead. How long were they going to keep up their "friends only" facade before someone broke?

I glanced back at the islanders. A soft, smooth tune carried onto the waves, ushering a slow dance to the couples standing ankle-deep in wet sand.

"Want to dance?" Kairi asked Sora with a calm composure. Sora refocused on the party and blushed.

"Yeah. I'd love to."

Kairi took his hand and led him into the small crowd of dancing couples. I looked over at my date, knowing he wouldn't want to dance; he just wasn't that type of guy, which at the time was okay with me. This would be a good chance to make my confession, anyhow. He was watching thoughtfully as Kairi and Sora awkwardly positioned themselves for the slow swaying. I was about to open my mouth when he spoke up.

"She really likes him, doesn't she?" As I stared up at the boy's pensive frown, a flush of heat swelled throughout my stomach. I'd figured out when we were kids that Riku had a thing for Kairi, but thought that he'd was over after all of these years.

I took a deep breath, silencing any jealous thoughts. Then I took one more for good measure before speaking again.

"Riku, there's something I want to tell you." I began at last, my organs churning to make room for the butterflies to flutter. I looked into Riku's face for a reaction; he appeared to not have heard me.

"Look at them," he said, gesturing to the crowd with his head. "You'd think they'd be smarter about things like that." I glanced to the crowd; dozens of couples swayed sweetly with the music. I returned my gaze to Riku.

"What do you mean?"

"Love." His eyes seemed to harden. "It's like no one knows its true consequences until they're left on the floor, hearts bleeding with sadness and agony." I was taken aback by his strange mood. What was he talking about? "They don't know they're setting themselves up for a heartbreak, do they? That any moment, their 'love' could just up and leave them."

"B-but Riku," I stuttered, taking the attack personally. "That's the beauty of love — it's nonsensical nature! Love has no reasoning!"

"If you ask me, anyone who falls in love is a fool." He stated clearly.

How could he think that way? I felt my eyes filling with angry tears. I couldn't look at him.

"Is that how you really feel? That it's better to never love than to have been hurt in it?" I controlled my voice very carefully, speaking in between the threats of sobs.

"Yes." The response came so fast that I felt my knees shake a bit. I wasn't ready for it, but the gun was loaded and had shot it's victim cold.

"Then _you_ are the fool." I blurted in bitterness. I saw in the corner of my eye his head bob up in surprise and he turned to finally look at me.

"What?"

"I said that you're a fool, Riku!" I allowed my eyes to turn to him, the tears subsiding just enough for me to stare into his blank face. "Love is crazy, unpredictable, but it's a rewarding experience! It doesn't always end up the way you want it too, but, in the end, you learn to pick yourself up from it and choose to move on in the world! Sure, there's always the risk of heartbreak, of sadness or loneliness, but even the meekest of souls learn to live through it!" I leaned forward, pointing my finger at his chest. "To never love is to never live, and you are a fool for not seeing it otherwise!" I whirled around and ran off into the distance, heading for the dock where the boats were.

"y/n!" I heard him call behind me, but the voice was getting further away. I kept speeding off into the distance until I saw the small boats that had brought us here. I threw myself into one and pushed it out to sea. My arms ached after I began recklessly rowing away from the beach and, when I was far enough to feel completely alone, my eyes filled with tears. I let my body curl up in the concave wood and cried as the waves gently rocked my boat. Heartbreak began crawling up my belly towards my heart.

All I had wanted was to tell him I love him, but I'd taken his viewpoint too personally. I was certain that I'd overreacted. Nonetheless, if that was really what Riku thought of love — if he was too blind with jealousy over his two best friends' feelings — then perhaps it was best that I let him go.

Maybe he was right. Maybe love wasn't worth the pain.

End of Part 1.


End file.
